Thanks for stopping by Refresh with Dawn Herring. I hope you enjoy browsing through the postings and get to know me a bit better.
I'm Dawn Herring, host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition for all things journaling on Twitter and Facebook. I'm also a writer and artist focused on refreshment, journaling, and positive change. Email me at refreshwithdawnherring@gmail.com with any questions or comments you may have. Thanks and enjoy your stay!

Monday, June 1, 2009

I always feel the start of a new month is a good time to post on my blog.

Ok, so, what comes to mind when you think of June?

My memories rush to my school days when I would get out of the private school I attended the third week of June while all of the public schools got out a week later. That was the only way I could justify their spring break since my school didn't take one. (Don't ask me why; I still would like to know.)

June was just getting warm enough to change the wardrobe from summer to winter; you know, take out the winter socks and switch to summer stuff.

I would be remiss to not mention the sock fight my Mom and I used to have during this switcheroosy. Yes, we would throw socks at each other just for the laughs in an attempt to make the change not as boring. But instead of calling it a sock fight, Mom would yell, "Food fight!!" Don't ask me why she did that. Maybe she has a messy memory from the cafeteria in school or something...But it was hilarious. (Of course, this one may be a 'you had to be there' moment, but I though it was worth mentioning since it still makes me laugh thinking about it.)

We didn't just change the small stuff. There were the sweaters to move out to be replaced with cooler ensembles and bathing suits.

Aaah, the bathing suit season. And with bathing suits came Terrace Lake, my absolute favorite place to be all summer (aside from the library), at least on days that it didn't rain and on Saturdays when everyone came out of the woodwork to go swimming.

Terrace Lake (which is no longer in existence, has been replaced by condos--go figure.) was full of stuff to do. Swimming, of course, was priority, and they had a lot to offer. Three different slides for different sections of the lake (shallow, deep, and deepest), with the tallest one famous for its 25 foot height, which I finally mastered with the help of some friends. Believe me, it looks a lot steeper from the top! (I wasn't an especially strong swimmer, but I did well enough...)

There was also a dock out in the deepest part of the lake that seemed three miles away to my swimming limbs; I did a lot of floating in order not to wear myself out. I always enjoyed watching my Dad swim using all the right strokes and kicks to get where he aimed. I admired his ability to synchronize his moves that looked so easy to my observation.

I enjoyed the diving boards area, where they had three heights. The lowest height was where my Dad taught me how to dive. Keeping my feet together seemed like a monumental task as an adolescent, but I still enjoyed the experience. There was the highest one that I didn't dare dive from; jumping was what most of the kids did, where the cannonball was famous. So I always made it a point to swim fast to the ladder so I wouldn't get knocked over by cannonball waves from the jumper behind me in line.

Terrace Lake also had a pretty cool, shady, playground area containing swings, monkey bars, see-saws, a whirly bird that I thought I would get my fingers broken on when the big teenagers would make it bang against the middle pole instead of just going around nice and easy; and the huge rock, more like a boulder, that all the kids had to climb on.

There was the annual carnival held at Terrace Lake which was always fun with pony rides, food to buy with tickets (I absolutely loved that part, especially the ice cream), the dunking booth and other attractions.

I also enjoyed the paddle boat ride Dad would take me out on occasionally where we would check out the vegetation that grew in the lake (gross); I was always glad the swimming side didn't look like that.

Then there was mini-golf with my friends to keep us from getting bored when there was nothing else to occupy us. There was one golf spot that was always a major pain. You had to get the ball the roll through was looked like a roller coaster loop. You had to hit the ball reasonably hard for it to have enough momentum to roll all the way through to the other side where the hole was. It often took three tries for some of the players to make the ball go through.

Terrace Lake was my favorite part of summer, and knowing I'd be there soon after school let out made it worth the wait...(well, almost).

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help

motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.

I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,

whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.

As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your

daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has

space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.

Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if

you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.

Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.

I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to

yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!

A 21 Day Refresh Intensive E-Course!

Dawn is now offering a 21 Day Refresh Intensive Course that enables you to Activate Your Intuition, Honor Your Preferences and Listen to Your Life Messages. It is available for purchase as a downloadable PDF so you can take it any time for your refreshment!

About Me

Dawn is a watercolor and collage artist, writer, Host of #JournalChat Live and Creative and Social Media Consultant. She enjoys sharing insights, humor, and encouragement as she shares from her life experiences. She enjoys keeping a journal and reading spiritual texts to help keep the light on. Hope you enjoy perusing the blog posts and in the process, get to know her a bit better. Enjoy your stay!

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My Website: www.dawnherring.net

You can check out my website: www.dawnherring.net. There you will find info on my writing services, my bio and journaling resources and my book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child. Enjoy your stay!

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If you desire to discover what Your Authentic Refreshment might be so you can enhance and benefit your life, you'll welcome to purchase a 30 minute Refresh Session with Dawn **by phone or Skype, initiating the discovery process toward Your Authentic Refreshment. (A 30 Minute Refresh Session is $75.)

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My eBook: The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child

I'm so excited to share with you my new ebook, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

The Birthday Wall is my detailed, step-by-step instructional book that shows how to create a multi-dimensional, colorful visual collage to help celebrate your child's Birthday. As creator of this family tradition, I share how to research, plan, gather, create and display all the elements of your child's birthday wall which can help affirm, validate, and show appreciation for your child.

Follow this link which takes you to the Parent to Parent page of HSLDA's Home School Court Report. In their Sept/Oct 2009 edition and on this page, My reason for Homeschooling has been published under Dawn H. You're welcome to check it out!